Japanese Researchers Find Super-Carbon-Eating Species of Larch

If you're talking (or arguing) about carbon offsetting through trees, no matter what you think about carbon offsets themselves, you probably agree that an important first step would be getting the right trees. Obvious... or not. Some species of...

If you're talking (or arguing) about carbon offsetting through trees, no matter what you think about carbon offsets themselves, you probably agree that an important first step would be getting the right trees.

Obvious... or not. Some species of tree capture more carbon than other--pine and eucalyptus are apparently carbon kings. And eucalyptus can grow anywhere.

Sounds ideal, right? But it's actually a problem: invasive species of trees--eucalyptus is especially bad--will take over, with the potential to result in a massive monoculture, a virtual biodiversity desert. Turns out, forestry is not a simple thing.

Which is why I'm not sure how to greet this news (from AutoblogGreen): researchers at the Hokkaido Forest Research Institute have found a breed of larch that can store up to 30 more carbon than regular larches. It's a hybrid of the Dahurian Larch and the regular kind.

Hokkaido has started to plant these trees, and plan to ramp it up to about 300,000 per year.

I think that trees are just great, of course... but I also think there's something to be said for natural ecosystems, made up of a healthy mix of native plants. Then again, considering our monocultural agricultural practices, can I really complain about a few million carbon-offsetting trees?